The possible effects of dairy consumption on diabetes prevention remain controversial, although some recent data unveiled growing scientific evidence for the benefits of yogurt consumption. This study investigated specifically the impact of dairy consumption on type-2 diabetes risk in the elderly.
The authors prospectively followed 3,454 non-diabetic individuals from the PREDIMED study. After a follow-up of 4.1 years, results showed that total dairy product consumption was associated with a reduced T2D risk of 32%. This association appeared to be mainly attributed to low-fat dairy. The association was even lightly stronger with total yogurt consumption (-40%). Furthermore, the study also revealed that yogurt as a snack can be beneficial: substituting 1 unhealthy snack portion per day (biscuit, chocolate or cake) with 1 portion of yogurt can reduce the risk of T2D by up to 45%. These findings highlight the potential role of dairy products, like yogurt, in the prevention of T2D in older adults.
Why is yogurt best?
Although nutritionally, yogurt is comparable to milk, the processing, added ingredients, and fermentation improve the nutritional value of yogurt and provide it with unique properties that enhance the bioavailability of some nutrients (e.g. riboflavin, vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, zinc). Therefore, yogurt consumption may help to alleviate some of the most common nutritional deficits and related complications in older adults.
Multiple mechanisms might mediate the relationship between dairy consumption and T2D risk. A potential benefit on T2D has been attributed to components of dairy products such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin D. Some other recent research suggests that probiotic bacteria found in yogurt may improve fat profiles and antioxidant status.
Yogurt exists in countless guises, as a nutritious food, a moisturiser or remedy for burns and psoriasis. It was probably invented by Neolithic people in central Asia around 5000 BC, when the first milk-producing animals were domesticated. They most likely found out how to ferment milk by chance. By 2000 BC, the diets of half the humans on earth included dairy products. Genghis Khan fed his army on fermented mares’ milk.
The word yogurt comes from Turkish, indicating that it arrived in Europe from the Ottoman Empire. It was brought to Vienna by the nomadic farmers of the Balkans and the Turkish army.
Ilya Mechnikov, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist at the Institut Pasteur, was the first to publish research on the potential benefits of yogurt. The bacteria that cause fermentation can prevent stomach ulcers.
The first yogurt factory was opened in Barcelona in 1919, named Danone or “little Daniel” after the owner’s son. Yogurt production is a complex process and today’s yogurt is a far cry from the curds eaten by the Mongol hordes. However it is also possible to make it at home using boiled and cooled milk mixed with a few spoonfuls of real natural yogurt and then left to ferment for 24 hours. It can be eaten just as it is, in soups, with pureed fruit or as the basis of a delicious tzatziki.
In this experiment, participants were presented with different types of yogurt, with varying levels of sugar and fat content. Even after seeing this information on the list of ingredients, the volunteers did not immediately choose the yogurt that was lowest in calories. This choice was observed most among those individuals who do not eat a balanced diet.
However, both unhealthy and healthy eaters said taste was the main factor in their decision as to which yogurt to select, and it could not be overcome by providing them with nutritional information, according to the study published recently in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. Unhealthy is widely associated with being tasty, and taste remains the main driver of food decisions.
According to the authors, the challenge is therefore to make healthy foods more attractive by working on the emotional side of how we taste and reinforcing the message that a healthy diet can be synonymous with gastronomy and enjoying our food.
Yogurt never tasted so good
Thankfully, there are now yogurts available for just about everyone! Smooth and creamy, yogurt is available in so many flavors and consistencies that we can choose based on our personal preferences and taste: stirred, set, drinkable, with fruit, flavored, made of whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, with or without added sugar.
Furthermore, yogurt can be eaten at any meal of the day, making it a versatile pleasure and a habit that can easily be integrated into our daily lives. Finally, yogurt is an accessible pleasure for many because it is an easy way to digest milk, and is the only dairy product that is gentle enough for the lactose intolerant.
SOURCE: Robert Mai and Stefan Hoffmann. How to Combat the Unhealthy = Tasty Intuition: The Influencing Role of Health Consciousness. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, January 2015
The decline of dairy products consumption in adolescence is mainly driven by a reduction in milk intake and much higher in girls than in boys. Only 8% of 12-year olds and 6% of 17-year olds adhered to the recommended intake of ≥3.5 serves/day of the dairy food group.
In contrast, cheese and yogurt consumption remained low but stable (each accounting for about 25% of intake in terms of serves) between the ages of 12 and 17 in males and females. Frequent flavored-milk consumption (>= 2 serves/week) at baseline was also associated with similar to 5-fold greater likelihood of maintaining intakes of dairy foods above the median during adolescence.
The observed decrease in dietary contribution from this important food is of concern, and could have implications for the future development of non-communicable diseases. Targeted measures should be introduced to address this. In this context, yogurt could potentially play the role of a transition food among adolescents, replacing milk but continuing the sufficient consumption of dairy, which is crucial for growth in particular.
In this study, a total of 564 Canadians (160 obese and 404 non-obese individuals) consumed yogurt and were then classified as “consumers”, after filling in a food frequency questionnaire. Results showed that daily yogurt consumption drives a prudent dietary pattern and is inversely associated to a Western dietary pattern. The Western diet is characterized by high intakes of red meat, sugary desserts and drinks, high-fat foods, and refined grains.
Moreover, the contribution of yogurt to daily energy intake was more pronounced in non-obese individuals (% of total energy, 2.92 % vs. 3.54 % respectively), who consumed more yogurt than obese individuals.
Given the relatively low yogurt consumption among general Canadian adults as compared with the European population, increasing yogurt intake among Canadians may be promising in helping to achieve greater adequacy for some of the shortfall nutrients and maintain metabolic well-being as part of a healthy, energy-balanced dietary pattern. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm these findings, especially in obese populations.
This Digest is all about the #NutritionalValue of #DairyProtein in #Yogurt
We’ve heard since school days that protein is needed for growth and development. But there’s more to this macronutrient than meets the eye. Protein is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role not only in growth, repair and development, but also in immunity, and the health of bones, muscles, skin, and nerves (1).
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Of the 20 or so used by the body, 9 are considered “essential” or “indispensable” – those that the human body can’t manufacture on its own – and must be obtained from the diet. High quality proteins contain all 9 essential amino acids in the proportions that cells need for protein synthesis. In contrast, lower quality proteins are missing or low in one or more essential amino acids – referred to as ‘limiting amino acids’. The digestibility of a protein is also an important aspect of its quality (2) (3).
Protein quality measurement is an assessment of the ability of a dietary protein source to fulfill our body’s requirement for indispensable (or essential) amino acids. Not all proteins are equal – quality can make a difference. The better the score, the better the protein meets our body’s needs.
There are several methods for rating protein quality. Currently, the most widely used method is the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), which rates proteins from 0 to 1.0 (1 represents the highest). With this method, whole wheat has a score of 0.40, and cow’s milk 1.0 (4).
Recently the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recommended using the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) because it more accurately measures protein quality and the body’s ability to absorb essential/indispensable amino acids e.g. it can measure digestibility of individual amino acids rather than the crude protein levels measured by PDCAAS (5).
A key difference is that unlike PDCAAS, DIAAS scores may be greater than 1.0 (or 100%) if the protein contains a relatively high content of indispensable amino acids e.g. milk powder has a DIAAS of 1.22, whey protein isolate of 1.25, milk protein concentrate of 1.31, soy protein isolate of 1.00, peas 0.64, and wheat 0.4 (5).
The high PDCAAS and DIAAS for milk indicates that dairy proteins are well digested and absorbed (good bioavailability), and its mix of amino acids (including all of the 9 essential amino acids), supports efficient protein synthesis. A DIAAS over 100% for an individual food (high protein quality food such as milk) also indicates its potential to complement the protein contribution of a food with a lower DIAAS value, namely a food such as cereal or vegetable protein, of lower protein quality and therefore with a ‘limiting’ amino acid (5).
References:
First Global Summit on the Health Effects of Yogurt. 2014, Am J Clin Nutr, p. 99(suppl):1203S.
Tome D. Criteria and markers for protein quality assessment – a review. Br J Nutr. 2012; 108 Suppl. 2: S222-9.
Boye J, Wijesinha-Bettoni R, Burlingame B. Protein quality evaluation twenty years after the introduction of the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score method. Br J Nutr. 2012; 108 Suppl. 2: S183-211
Protein quality evaluation : report of the joint FAO/WHO expert consulation, FAO Food and Nutrition Paper No. 51, 1989.
Milk and yogurt are excellent sources of high quality protein, which is roughly made up of 80% casein and 20% whey protein. The high nutritional value of milk proteins is well preserved during the fermentation process involved in yogurt production. The protein content of yogurt is generally higher than that of milk because of the addition of non-fat dry milk during production (10). Proteins in yogurt have been found to be more digestible than proteins in unfermented (standard) milk.
Both the heat treatment and acid production involved in fermentation appear to start breaking down milk proteins, producing smaller, more easily digested forms of the milk protein casein, and releasing some free amino acids into yogurt (10). Cultured yogurt also has a higher protein quality than the mix it is made from (10).
References:
6. Moore DR, Robinson MJ, Fry JL, Tang JE, Glover EI, Wilkinson SB, Prior T, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89:161–168.
7. Tang JE, Moore DR, Kujbida GW, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men. J Appl Physiol. 2009;107:987–99.
8. Pennings B, Boirie Y, Senden JM, Gijsen AP, Kuipers H, van Loon LJ. Whey protein stimulates postprandial muscle protein accretion more effectively than do casein and casein hydrolysate in older men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;93:997–1005.
9. Wilkinson SB, Tarnopolsky MA, Macdonald MJ, Macdonald JR, Armstrong D, Phillips SM. Consumption of _uid skim milk promotes greater muscle protein accretion after resistance exercise than does consumption of an isonitrogenous and isoenergetic soy-protein beverage. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85:1031–1040. 10. Adolfsson O, Meydani SN, Russell RM. Yogurt and gut function. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004; 80(2):245-56.
Yogurt Benefits for Lactose Intolerance
There appears to be a growing trend for people, particularly women, to self-diagnose lactose intolerance. Regardless of whether a diagnosis is correct or not, it is often wrongly assumed that sufferers cannot tolerate yogurt. Lactose is a type of sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance occurs when there isn’t enough of the enzyme lactase available in the gut to digest lactose. This leads to undigested lactose passing into the large intestine where it can be fermented by the bacteria in the colon causing unpleasant symptoms, such as flatulence, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. As a result, people with lactose intolerance may avoid all dairy products; putting their intake of vital nutrients at risk.
Research has consistently shown that most people with lactose intolerance can better tolerate yogurt compared to standard/unfermented milks (11) (12) (13), meaning that nutrient dense yogurt can still be included in the diet and people will have the health benefit of high quality protein from dairy. There appears to be a number of possible reasons for this including the activity of live bacteria in the yogurt (10) (14).
References:
10. Adolfsson O, Meydani SN, Russell RM. Yogurt and gut function. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004; 80(2):245-56.
11. Scientifc Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to live yoghurt cultures and improved lactose digestion (ID 1143, 2976) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
12. Rosado JL, Solomons NW, Allen LH. Lactose digestion from unmodi_ed, low-fat and lactose-hydrolyzed yogurt in adult lactose maldigesters. Eur J Clin Nutr 1992;46:61–7.
13. Kolars JC, Levitt MD, Aouji M, Savaiano DA. Yogurt—an autodigesting source of lactose. N Engl J Med 1984;310:1–3.
14. Savaiano DA, AbouElAnouar A, Smith DE, Levitt MD. Lactose malabsorption from yogurt, pasteurized yogurt, sweet acidophilus milk, and cultured milk in lactase-de_cient individuals. Am J Clin Nutr 1984;40:1219–23.
Is dairy protein in the form of yogurt a more nutritious choice?
It’s fair to say that we would probably be a healthier population if we ate more nutrient-rich foods. Nutrient density is typically described as a measure of the positive nutrients provided per calorie of food. Nutrient-dense food choices, therefore, provide a high proportion of positive nutrients relative to calories, helping people to meet their nutritional requirements without encouraging weight gain. Nutrient-dense foods are the opposite of “empty-calorie“ foods (15).
Energy density is the amount of energy (calories) per gram of food. Foods with a high water content tend to have a lower energy density e.g. vegetables, low fat yogurt, milk and fruit. Foods with a lower energy density provide fewer calories per gram compared to high energy-dense foods, so a greater weight of the food can be eaten whilst still helping to keep calorie intake in check (15).
A number of studies amongst different age and population groups (16) (17) link better nutrient intakes, for example, of protein, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin D and riboflavin, and higher overall diet quality with increased intake of dairy foods including yogurt.
People who choose more dairy foods, also tend to make other more nutrient-rich food choices (16). Eating yogurt is a good marker of diet quality (17). Compared to non-consumers, yogurt consumers:
Were nearly twice as likely to have a healthier dietary pattern as non-consumers.
Had higher potassium intakes and were less likely to have inadequate intakes of riboflavin, vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, and zinc (17).
Nutrient profiling systems such as the SAIN/LIM system may help to identify foods of good nutritional quality. This system (15) is based on 2 independent scores :
The SAIN (a marker of nutrition) is a score of nutritional adequacy based on the content of 5 nutrients : protein, fibre, ascorbic acid, calcium, and iron + 4 potential optional nutrients when needed.
The LIM score is the mean percentage of the maximum recommended values for 3 nutrients, the intakes of which should be limited in a healthy diet : saturated fats, added sugars and salt.
So a high SAIN score represents more nutrient-rich foods, whereas a high LIM score represents more unhealthy aspects of the food.
References:
15. Darmon N, Vieux F, Maillot M, Volatier JL, Martin A. Nutrient profiles discriminate between foods according to their contribution to nutritionally adequate diets: a validation study using linear programming and the SAIN,LIM system. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009. 89(4);1227-36,
16. Weinberg LG, Berner LA, Groves JE. Nutrient contributions of dairy foods in the United States, Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, 1994-1996, 1998. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004; 104(6):895-902.
17. Wang H, Livingston KA, Fox CS, Meigs JB, Jacques PF. Yogurt consumption is associated with better diet quality and metabolic profile in American men and women. Nutr Res. 2013; 33(1):18-26.
Dairy protein: Why is it recommended worldwide?
Dairy foods provide high quality protein wrapped up in a robust nutrient package, and a regular intake can be a marker for diet quality. Most countries recommend consumption of dairy products; and when amounts are specified, 2 or 3 servings per day are typically recommended (18). Dietary guideline recommendations for dairy products are based partly on culture and availability, but the key reason is for meeting nutrient requirements (18).
For example, amongst US adults, the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that milk was the 4th highest ranked food source of protein, and the highest ranked food source of calcium (22.5%), vitamin D (45.1%), and potassium (9.6%) (19) (20).
In France, 125ml of natural yogurt provides, amongst other nutrients, 20% of calcium, 21% of vitamin B2, 11% of vitamin B12, 16% of phosphorus of an adult’s recommended daily intakes (21) (22).
References:
18. Weaver CW. How sound is the science behind the dietary recommendations for dairy? Am J Clin Nutr. ajcn.073007; First published online March 19,2014. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.073007.
19. McGill CR, Fulgoni VL 3rd, DiRienzo D, Huth PJ, Kurilich AC, Miller GD. Contribution of dairy products to dietary potassium intake in the United States population. J Am Coll Nutr. 2008; 27(1):44-50.
20. O’Neil CE, Keast DR, Fulgoni VL, Nicklas TA. Food sources of energy and nutrients among adults in the US: NHANES 2003–2006. Nutrients. 2012; 4(12):2097-120.
21. Source : Table Ciqual des aliments 2008, ANSES ; Directive européenne (90/496/CEE). 22. Martin A et al. 2007. Apports nutritionnels conseillés pour la population française, 3e édition, Ed. TEC&DOC. 605 pp.
Peel and thinly slice the shallots. Add them to the vinegar and mix over a low heat until the liquid has almost evaporated. Remove from the heat. Add the yogurt and mustard to the stock. Stir the mixture in with the shallots. Add the herbs and salt & pepper to taste.
1 pot yogurt (use the empty pot as a measuring guide)
2 pots flour
1 pot cornflour
3 eggs
1 pot sugar
1 pot melted butter
1 sachet yeast
1 sachet vanilla sugar
200g dark chocolate
For the ganache: 200g dark chocolate and 100cl low-fat cream
Method
Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie. Mix together the flour, cornflour, sugar, yeast and vanilla sugar. Add the yogurt, egg yolks and butter, then the melted chocolate and beaten egg whites. Pour into three small cake moulds. Bake for 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 150°C. To make the ganache, melt the chocolate in the bain-marie and mix in the low-fat cream.
Arrange the three cakes on a large plate. Cover with the ganache, then drag a fork along it to create ridges. Add marzipan holly leaves, chocolate shavings or your choice of other decorations…and enjoy!
More original yogurt-based recipes? Give Weeknight Wonders by Ellie Krieger as a gift this Christmas!
Putting a new spin on the concept of “stress eating,” a new research found that people who eat during times of stress typically seek the foods they eat out of habit – regardless of how healthy or unhealthy that food is.
This research contradicts the conventional wisdom that people who are stressed-out turn to high-calorie, low-nutrient comfort food. In the study, David Neal, Ph.D., a psychologist, and his co-authors followed 59 MBA students at the University of California, Los Angeles.
They were asked during midterm exams which snack they would like from an array that included healthy snacks (fruit, non-fat yogurt, whole wheat crackers, nuts/soy chips) and unhealthy options (various candy bars, flavored popcorn, sugar cookies). They also were asked to rate how often during the week they choose that snack.The results found that during peak stress like an exam, participants were likely to fall back on their habitual snack.
Yogurt: a good habit
It is important to make snacks as nutritious as possible and relatively low in calories and fat to avoid weight gain, including during times of stress. Yogurt can be a new routine to make proper food choices when it comes to snacking.Yogurt is a nutrient-dense, tasty, handy and easily digested product to help people reach their daily dairy intake without excess calories. Find out more here!
Yogurt has a very positive reputation in terms of health. Tufts Nutrition magazine has dedicated an article to the science behind yogurt’s healthy image.
In the article, published in the magazine of the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA), Tufts biologist Benjamin Wolfe explains that research has showed numerous correlations between the consumption of yogurt and health benefits, from improved blood pressure and triglyceride levels to weight management.
Tufts professor Paul Jacques highlights that yogurt is a good source of nutrients, including high-quality proteins, calcium, magnesium, zinc and vitamins B2 and B12. Yogurt is 20%-100% more nutrient-rich than milk, its acidity increases the body’s absorption of calcium, zinc and magnesium and its bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) promote lactose digestion, even in cases of lactose intolerance. According to Professor Simin Nikbin Meydani, director of HNRCA at Tufts, if more Americans ate yogurt, it would go a long way towards them meeting nutritional guidelines.
Research shows that people who eat yogurt gain less weight than those who do not – a statement that does not apply to milk or cheese. The effect of yogurt and its bacteria on the intestinal microbiome and ecosystem has been the subject of many studies. And, as Professor Meydani explains, the results increasingly suggest that the effects of these bacteria extend far beyond the intestine to include the immune response among other areas.
There now also appears to be a connection between the intestines and the brain, and, although we cannot yet definitively say that yogurt improves cognitive function, we hope that this will become a topic of discussion over the next few years.
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